Something very strange happened in my garden today (but I don't know what). WARNING: Contains images of blood

[Anonymouse2019]

As the title suggests, this post contains graphic details and images of blood.

This morning we were out with our young children having an egg hunt in our garden when I suddenly came across this pool and drips of blood. I was temporarily a bit shocked but distracted my kids away and I returned alone to inspect.

The large pool of blood was partially congealed but fresh, so had probably been there no more than a few hours. The white bits are fur. I'm 100% certain they're not feathers.

The drips of blood leading off end on that brown leaf (or start there).

I can't work out what's happened but I have a suspicion a cat has given birth there. Nothing makes sense though, as there are no obviously marks in the blood to suggest any kittens were there. I've searched the surrounding area for injured or dead animals, kittens, or more blood and found absolutely nothing.

Does anyone know what might have happened? For reference, the larger pool of blood was around 4 inches in diameter and was quite jellylike (I don't think it was a placenta as I washed it away with the hose).

Could be an injured animal.

Maybe a weasel got a rabbit? Bit through its neck, thus the blood amd
dragged it off, this the bump blobs of
blood?

It looks purple to me? Are you sure it's not bird poo from a bird that's eaten too many berries?

I'd of thought a cat or fox has killed and eaten something.

We don't have weasels where we live, and the only rabbits round here are our own pet rabbits who are safe, uninjured and have been nowhere near this area. I'm absolutely baffled as to how the blood just stops with no onward trail.

Definitely blood. Not digested berries. It looks purple because it was red with the reflection of blue sky.

Oh, I see.

Possible that it was something to do with a fox but this area of our garden is a cat superhighway and we have at least 5 regular cats who travel through our garden several times a day. We do not have any cats of our own.

It’s animal matter. No need to worry.

I'm not worried. I'm just curious. I've just set up my train cam and am taking it out there now, although whatever happened (hopefully) won't happen again.

I’d say a cat has killed something then ran off with it. It wouldn’t necessarily have left a trail.

My old cat often killed squirrels etc and sometimes there’d be lots of blood and at other times none. Doubt a cat would give birth out in the open like that either - they’d go and find somewhere safe and warm.

A bird of prey swooped grabbed something, drew blood and took off with its dinner.

Dropped by a bird eating/carrying road kill or something.

I did think it would be an odd place for a cat to give birth but I think you're right with the bird of prey theory. The thing is, we 'only' have Sparrowhawks round here and they do kill a lot of garden birds in this neighbourhood (built up housing estate). This area of our garden is almost directly under some trees so it's entirely possible it's bird-related, but where's the white fur from, and that was quite a lot of blood as that larger 'puddle' was quite deep so whatever it was had very heavy blood loss.

I said 'train cam' earlier but meant 'trail', sorry.

I've seen many Sparrowhawk kills. They always pluck feathers from their prey before eating it or taking it to a safer location to eat. There were absolutely no feathers in this area, or any surrounding gardens that I could see. Of course, if a Spawk captured something, it may have been spooked after the kill and removed it for plucking. But it still doesn't explain why there was white fur stuck to and surrounding the blood.

We had a kestrel in our garden a few weeks ago. It had killed a wood pigeon and was happily eating it.
When it flew off it left the carcass and there were blood and feathers over the patio.

Easter bunny tripped and cut its knee on the way out your garden?

Something has probably been eaten hence no trail?

I would be inclined to think a fox has killed something. I saw two foxes fighting over a bird in the garden one night and the next morning there was absolutely no sign, not even a feather left

I'd say it's too purple to be blood and it's more like bird poo.

Is that a little mouse hole on the left near the dandelion leaf? It’s near where the blood stops so it could of gone down the hole

Did a fox get a cat? This happened recently to a neighbours cat.

The photo is kind of blurry for me but the big brownish smear looks a bit like a fur ball. So I reckon a cat or fox has vomited it up along with a bit of its latest kill

We sometimes have similar pools of blood - and often a rabbit or bird head. We are in the countryside and get used to it!

My evil cat leapt and caught a bird out of the air once, he must have got a fang through its heart as there was a spurt of blood splash onto the ground similar to this. It was pretty brutal. I think something similar has happened in your garden.